Bastard the Enemy is the professional name of singer, songwriter and rapper Jeff Freedman. The San Diego, California musician is well known in his hometown as the energetic frontman of local Punk band The Yucks. However, unbeknownst to friends and fans alike, Jeff has spent the last few months putting the finishing touches on his self-titled solo debut EP, released worldwide to all major streaming services on December 22, 2021.
Freedman teamed up with our friends at Cult Muzic Media to produce the record. Regular readers of The Static Dive know the San Diego label well. Founded by the late Van Bates (aka Black Hesher), in recent years the company has amassed an impressive catalog of groundbreaking and genre-bending Hip-hop and Alternative Rock. On his debut, Bastard the Enemy takes a break from his usual Rock & Roll assault for a bit of downtempo Soul, old-school Hip-hop and Jazz-infused Classic Rock.
The record opens on the spaghetti western vibes of “110.” The famous whistle from Clint Eastwood’s classic “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” rides a slow and low downtempo boombap beat. Meanwhile, Bastard the Enemy and fellow Cult Muzic emcee Katie LaDubz trade verses for some old-school Hip-hop posturing. “Break the Ceiling ” follows with an upbeat breakbeat rhythm. Freedman alternates between a melodic rap verse and some Lou Rawls-style R&B over a smooth 70’s Soul/Funk jam.
On “Hard Times’ ‘ Bastard the Enemy looks back on his own mistakes and reflects on the mess of the world around him. The track pairs the familiar sound of The Doors’ legendary ‘Riders on the Storm’ with a funky Hip-hop beat. Jeff drops a hard and rhythmic rap, built around a great Blues melody. “New Summer ” dips once again into the team’s Classic Rock bag of tricks for a shuffling groove set to an acoustic Led Zeppelin sample. Cult Muzic’s J Andrew joins Freedman for the summertime street party anthem.
The record closes on the fun and catchy “Ridiculous.” Bastard the Enemy signs off with a lighthearted monolog about his own ridiculousness. The track rides on quirky organ and breakbeat funk. The sound brings to mind some of the more lighthearted, early Outkast stuff.
Check out Bastard the Enemy’s eponymous debut EP below. You can also hear the track “Ridiculous” on the Deep Indie Beat playlist, or listen on your favorite streaming service. Follow the links below to connect with Jeff Freedman. Get on his socials and get in the loop on all of the music to come from this multifaceted artist.
